Japanese Mythology

Hermeneutics on Scripture

AvJun'ichi Isomae,Mukund Subramanian

Häftad, Engelska, 2009

Del i serien Religion in Culture

631 kr

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Beskrivning

Before the westernisation of Japan, mythological events were treated as national history. Two key documents have contributed to this history, both written over 1300 years ago: 'Kojiki', the Tale of Old Age, and 'Nihonshoki', the Chronicle of Japanese History. Both the Imperial Court and the general public searched for the origin of their identity in these documents, which took on the central and sacred role of scripture. Through the act of commentary and interpretation, the sacred books connected interpreters to their historical origins, authenticating where they came from, the emergence of the Japanese archipelago, and the uniqueness of the Japanese people. 'Japanese Mythology' explores the nation's attraction to this act of historical grounding and the varying identities that emerged during different historical periods. The study reveals that, rather than having any clear and unified substance, Japanese mythology has always been the result of a nostalgic desire to retrieve historical origins.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2009-05-01
Mått:156 x 234 x 11 mm
Vikt:280 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Religion in Culture
Antal sidor:224
Förlag:Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:9781845531836

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Mer om författaren

Jun’ichi Isomae is Associate Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies.

Recensioner i media

"A landmark study. Its sweeping reassessment of the scriptural hermeneutics of the ancient founding myths of Japan and their continued appropriation, use and abuse, over the ages contributes to a new scholarly approach towards the redefinition of religion as an integral part of material and political culture. It will, no doubt, become a standard reference for years to come." - Hent de Vries, Johns Hopkins University "A highly readable and deeply intelligent book which will capture the attention of anyone with a critical interest in questions of myth, truth, history, power, scripture, and what it is to be human." - Brian Bocking, University College Cork

Innehållsförteckning

1. National History, Shint? and Myth: General Remarks on the History of the Interpretation of the Kiki 2. The Canon and Variants: An Examination of the Mythology of Sysanowo 3. Myth in Metamorphosis: Ancient and Medieval Versions of the Yamatotakeru Legend 4. Myth and Rationality: Understanding God in the Early-Modern and Modern Period 5. Myth and Nationalism: Motoori Norinaga’s Creation Myths 6. The Space of Historical Discourse: Ishimoda Sh?’s Theory of the Heroic Age